COEBURN (September 24, 2026) – Castlewood is still looking for its first Cumberland District win. The Lady Blue Devils dropped a 3-1 decision at Eastside on Thursday. Set scores were 15-25, 18-25, 25-18, 11-25 as Castlewood lost its seventh consecutive contest.
The defending CD volleyball champion Eastside (8-5, 2-0 CD) is off to a good start in defending their title.
“We’ve still got a lot to work on,” Eastside coach Brianne Casteel Bailey said. “I wasn’t really happy with how we played tonight, but a win’s a win, so I’ll take it.”
The Spartans graduated seven players off last year’s squad.
“This is a whole new team for me,” Bailey stated. “This is a whole new group. We’re still working to build the chemistry and figure everything out.”
Eastside took the lead at 7-6 in the first set and at 12-11 in the second set on Castlewood attack errors and never relinquished it to go up 2-0 in the match.
Castlewood (4-10, 0-3 CD) never fully found its offensive rhythm until the third set.
“The girls came to play for about half of the first two sets, but then we fell off the gas,” said Castlewood coach Derek Allen. “In the third set, we came to play. They knew what they were supposed to do, communicated, and came out with the win.”
What happened to the Spartans in the third?
“There was miscommunication,” noted Bailey. “We stopped talking. The lack of communication was causing a lot of confusion, and we were letting balls drop that we shouldn’t have.”
The Blue Devils’ momentum didn’t last long. Eastside dominated the fourth set to win.
What caused the Blue Devils’ struggles?
“Serve-receive,” noted Allen. “We get crossed up about whose line is whose. We don’t communicate that. I always tell them that as soon as she touches the ball, I should be calling it and knowing my line.”
Freshman setter Leanna Franklin recorded 16 assists in the loss. Cheyenne Elam led Castlewood with five kills. Madison Goottschall, Kadence Culbertson, and Sophie Hall each added four kills.
“I think the more we play, the better we’re going to get,” Allen said of his young squad. “The girls figured out a few more things about team chemistry tonight. That’s what we’ve been working on in practice. They’re enjoying the game again.”
Hedi Craiger (11 kills, four blocks) and Abby Ward (nine kills, one block) played well at the net for the Spartans. Lexi Nixon directed the action with 29 assists and also had eight spikes. Dakota Clay (11 service points, 25 digs) and Peyton VanWinkle (eight service points, 12 digs) paced the back row in the win.
Will Eastside be at the top at the end of the season?
“It depends on which team shows up for me,” declared Bailey. “There are moments when we’re playing, and we look fantastic, and then there are moments when I’m thinking, ‘Have we even touched a volleyball?’”
